Cadet Name: Kirk, James T
by SilverInkedStars
Summary: The trait to look before one leaps was not a part of Jim Kirk's bran patterns. Fallow our favorite blond as he makes those steps to become our lovable Captain and the people he meet in the three years it took him to do it.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Star Trek or any of its hot franchise.

Warning: Slow moving slash and three-way, mentions of child abuse and sexual abuse.

Chapter: 1

Jim sat down in the shuttle seat and strapped himself in as he looked around the small cadet shuttle; it was almost a sea of red already and not for the first time since he decided he was coming if this was a good idea. True there was nothing for him in Iowa he did have some friends and family in California he could fall back on; he almost ran his hand through his hair when a commotion came from the side. Wow was that little pilot spunky! Jim resisted the urge to smirk as the scruffy, but definitely sexy, man sat down next to him. "I may through up on you." He said making Jim's eyes water a bit at the strong smell of mint and bourbon? Who brushed their teeth then drank bourbon? Then again who got into a bar fight then decided to join an academy for an intergalactic military? He heard himself talk to the messed up man beside him and had to refrain from scooting over as he made three cadets move away with his little space will kill you speech. His attention snapped into focus at the wife bit and he denied silently cheering as the man informed him that the woman had left him. He eyed the small flask as he heard the high pitched whine of the engines getting ready to start; he would need some of that. Thankfully the other was kind enough to give him a drink of the surprisingly expensive liquor, "Jim Kirk." he stated and handed the man back his flask. "McCoy, Leonard McCoy."

Thankfully the southern man refrained from vomiting on Jim as the shuttle was flying through the stratosphere, the trip wouldn't take that long but the brunet next to him had already fallen asleep or passed out. Jim would bet money on passed out, sighing lightly he ran his hand through his hair and winced. Closing his eyes he stretched slowly to take stock of his pains and injuries, his brother was going to kill him. Not only had he given the bike that they had worked on away to a perfect stranger, but he had also leapt without thinking, again. Sighing again he shifted, well taking a trip down memory lane did that, why did their mother have to sell the damn farm to Starfleet any way? Couldn't she just send a damn truck and have the movers pile everything in it instead of making her sons do it? Cussing the women, not for the first time in the last few days, for making Sam and himself go through the trinkets and clothes, boxes and totes in the attic, he could feel the command pin in his pocket that George had left on the dresser before going onto the Kelvin. The steel ring with little roman numbers on it felt cool in his hand, the things his father had willed to them but they never got because Wynona had kept them with her. Sam had broken down three days before and had left with the truck, his own mementoes clutched in his hands as he drove home to his wife and two kids. Drove home to loving people to a proper family, not like the one Jim had known but what Sam had had before Jim was born. That thought still stung and had drove him to the bar every night for the past three days, his father's shadow making him drink hard and get pissed off enough to accept Pike's challenge. Rubbing the small headache that came with the thought of calling his brother to explain and send some of his stuff or at least maybe some of the credits he had in a jar on his dresser so he could get what he needed, god this was going to suck, way to go Jim.

The shuttle made a soft bump as it landed making McCoy jerk awake and it took a few soothing words to keep the man from yelling before they unbuckled and fallowed the short pilot to a room for registration, made Jim think of the stock yards he would watch when he was younger and had to fight the urge to moo. McCoy, it turned out, was a doctor so his line was shorter and led away from Jim; he nodded as a way of saying goodbye before leaving the blond in his long as hell line. Finally getting up to the front he stated his name for the computer and sighed softly as the Ensign's eye widened at his last name and birth records, "Your George Kirk's son?" he almost squeaked making a few look at him and the room grow silent. Fighting the urge to fidget he slapped the patent Kirk smirk on his face, "That would be me why?" he almost purred and watched as the man blushed before handing him the file and a bag before stuttering instructions and pointed to the left where he would be assigned his room, roommate, uniform, and rules packet. Keeping in mind not to run he sauntered through the door making sure no one saw his wince but a Kirk never backed down from a challenge. News had spread like wildfire about who he was and how he got here by the time he had gotten checked out by a doctor, whose head still reeled from the amount of allergies he had, and he almost laughed when he realized the ensign at the gate had given him his contact info. Tossing his blood stained shirt but keeping the pants and its contents in the given bag he changed into the Cadet uniform and tugged at the high collar, moving into the next line he realized it was a sort of check point where multiple security officers were going through luggage and he smirked handing one his paper bag and watched their eyebrows shoot up when he told them that was it. The red headed officer smiled at the light banter he made as she went through the pockets of his pants and quirked an eyebrow at the command pin. "Was my dad's, keeping it for good luck you know? Remind me why I'm here." he rubbed the back of his neck and shot her a sheepish smile that had her blushing and cooing at him before handing him two swipe cards, a small packet of pamphlets, a map, and a cadet issued PADD. Winking at him subtly she took the PADD back and keyed her contact info into it, "You'll get your com unit down the line so if you need any help around or to find a good and quiet study places give me a ring." and with that she walked off. Smirking still Jim moved down the line and got his com unit, listened to a few female cadets whine about the color of the uniforms and com units, got another pack with his winter and fall uniforms as well as an extra pair of boots and a toiletry set at the commons before heading to his room in the freshmen hall.

Finding the room with cadets, parents, and luggage in the halls and lifts was harder than he had thought; finally he found the right floor and was insanely glad he didn't have any of his stuff. Swiping the card he was greeted with someone pushing, what he assumed was his bunk and set of drawers to the smallest part of the room. "Ummm excuse me?" he asked noticing the big man pick up a lamp and put it on the small end table leaving Jim only the bare minimum of room and furniture. "You must be Kirk." He turned and didn't offer his hand, "I've heard of you. Let's get some things straight pretty boy; I came here to actually work. Not to mess around because of who my daddy was got that?" he was poking the blond with two fingers on his shoulder rather hard making Jim take a step back. "Now wait a second you don't even know me." He stated glaring at him "I know all I need to by the fight you had in that bar with my brother." the man snarled managing to make Jim take a step back, "Name's Mike and I've already tried to change rooms but we're stuck together till the end of the year so don't get in my way and we'll get along fine." He turned away and pulled a roll of tape from his pocket and made a walkway from the door to the bathroom and back to Jim's small section of the room, turning around he grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and easily lifted Jim up a foot off of the ground, "Cross this for any reason except that I'm choking to death and the campus officers won't find you even with Admiral Archer's beagles." Dropping Kirk he turned to the only desk in the room and straitened some more of his stuff and ignored the stunned blond, swallowing he yet again he moved to place his small belongings away and moved to see how long the line was to make an outgoing call. The line was enormous! All of the cubes were taken and the time slots were filled till the next few days, sighing he rubbed his head till the sound of his com unit went off making him jump slightly at the new noise. Flipping it open he looked at it till he figured out how to answer, "Uh, yes?" he asked relaxing slightly when he heard Christopher Pike on the other side. "Good lord Kirk you sound like a kid on his first day of school. Going to bolt already?" he asked chuckling making Jim to straighten his spine, "Is this a courtesy call sire?" he asked slightly gritting his teeth but managed to sound like a third year cadet at attention. "At ease Kirk I was only teasing." His voice was softer almost making Jim want to through the damn communicator then the teasing had, "No I've appointed myself as your academic advisor. Meet me at my office as soon as you can. I'm sending the directions to your com unit. Pike out." and the link went dead till the screen flashed a light as it downloaded directions that lead him to a quieter building.

An elderly woman sat at a desk in front of an office. The salt and pepper haired woman smiled as he approached showing that she had kind hazel eyes, "Can I help you?" she asked taking her glasses off and gave Jim her undivided attention. "I-uh I'm here to see Captain Pike. Miss….?" He trailed off feeling like a four year old in front of her. "Foster dear, Mrs. Madeline Foster. Though if you're Jim Kirk then you can call me Maddy. All of Chris's students do. I'll let him know you're here." she smiled and pushed a button telling the Captain his appointment was here and showed him through. Pike was behind a desk looking through a PADD, looking up he smiled a bit "Come on in cadet." He waved to the chair in front of him as Maddy moved to the door and closed it. Jim sat down slowly letting the silence wash over him as he waited for Pike to finish with whatever he was reading, looking around the room he saw photos of cadets and crew as well as what looked like family members and friends but none of the captain when he was a cadet. Jim let the questions sit at the back of his mind when he felt the man's gaze on the back of his head. "So three years still the plan?" he asked a bit of humor coloring his voice and his lips twitched slightly when Jim nodded and smirked, "Yah… You worried I'll do it old man?" he teased lightly testing the waters of the verbal spar and relaxed marginally when the elder man smile at him. "Alright Kirk, I have appointed myself as your academic advisor for while you are here. What that means is that I help you pick the classes you need for whatever track you decide to fallow. It also means that once a week or more you will be in my office talking about everything and anything." He leaned forward and pegged Jim with a stern look, "It also means if you get in trouble you'll be sent here for disciplinary assignment. Let's not make that headache routine all right?" Jim straightened at that and nodded, he would try but didn't make any promises, "On another note it also means if you're having a problem or just want to talk my door is always open." Pike gave Jim a soft smile before relaxing in his own chair. "I appreciate the offer sir and though I make no promises with the headaches I will try and stay out of trouble as much as possible." he smirked making the other to snort and smile a real smile at Jim, "That's all I ask son. Dismissed cadet, I will expect to see you tomorrow at 0700 don't make me hunt you down."

Letting the door close behind him he looked at a smiling Maddy, "Is there anything you need Hun?" she asked looking over her glasses at him. "Well," he started scratching the back of his neck, "I do sort of need to call my brother but the public booths are all packed for the next three days." He blushed looking down at the ground feeling more like a boy asking for a cookie then a grown man asking to use the holovid. Smiling at him she tutted, "Of course you can use the vid Hun there is one around the corner. Let me show you where it is and give you the password." She patted his shoulder and walked him down the hall and to a secluded vid booth. After showing him how to get off of base she bid him good night and smiled before leaving the blond to stare at the send button on the vid screen. Taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders he waited for someone to answer, his brother's face showed confusion and slight shock at his brother in a cadet uniform but waited in silence till Jim managed to tell the man what had happened. "Jim…. I've told you to start thinking before acting but I guess it is partially my fault too… I bailed on you with the rest of the work. I'll send you what you need as well as a bit more credits in the morning…. We'll…. Well I'll talk to you then alright?" he asked both ending up being rather tired after the short encounter. Jim nodded and told his sibling to have a restful night and to tell his nieces and sister in law that he loved them and would visit when he could. After a few minutes of staring at the black screen he rubbed his face and moved tiredly back to his room, his roommate was thankfully passed out and Jim got ready in silence before staring at the ceiling till sleep consumed him.

That's it lol hope you all liked it! Please tell me what you think! Free cookie to the first person to review.


	2. Chapter 2

The morning came with an unfamiliar shrill alarm, waking, though his eyes remained closed he waited to hear the feet of his nieces and the smell of muffins though none came. It was when he looked up at the white dorm ceiling all of it came back to him; the past few weeks in Iowa, the bar fight, Captain Pike, Starfleet, the conversation between him and Sam, oh god the look of confusion and disappointment. Groaning he looked at the clock and had to count to translate what the numbers were before scrambling and rushing to the small sonic showers every room had. He noted that his roommate had left him the last cubby and a small drawer in the bathroom for his things making him sigh slightly before grabbing his uniform and rushed to see a line in front of Mrs. Foster's desk, damn he would have been late even if he had shown up thirty minutes ago.

Scratching the back of his head he yawned and popped his back before looking down the hall and wondered if he would have enough time to get breakfast before he discussed classes with Pike or if he had to re-schedule and see him tomorrow. He was about to turn around and leave before Maddy's voice filtered through his sleepy mind making him turn and move closer. Everyone looked on as he moved to the front of the line, smiling at the elderly woman as she handed him the two paper to go cups and paper bag on her desk before buzzing him in making the line erupt in whispers and outraged voices, all that was blocked out as soon as the door slid shut behind him.

"Ah Kirk, good you made it." Pike nodded to the chair indicating he should sit down. Doing as he was told for once Jim handed him the cups and bag looking a bit surprised when the man handed him a cup back. Taking a small sip he about moaned, good god it was coffee, and not just any coffee either. Real coffee, made from beans that were ground and then boiled to make the heavenly dark liquid that just about filled his and his brother's veins it seemed. The thought of his brother made his face fall that not even the warm brew in his hands could help lift back up. Placing the cup on the desk he rubbed both hands through his hair and gave a tired sigh, a small part of his mind knew that there would be condescending pity in the ice blue orbs of Captain Christopher Pike if he looked up, he also knew he couldn't handle that right now. Sighing, for what seemed to be the thousandth time in the last few days, the blond looked up at the elder man and what he saw there made him start. Understanding gazed back at him from the knowledgeable man, understanding and calm assurance and faith in his choice to push Jim into Starfleet. A bit shocked Jim sat back with wide eyes limp as he wondered when the last person held the door open with trust before, small flashes of his adolescents flashed past making him swallow and look away first.

"Well Cadet I think we should start with the aptitude tests to see what classes you can skip and what classes you need to start with in." his face softened a bit as he handed him the bag. "Though you should probably eat first, take your time we have all day." looking at the muffin with blueberries in it he smiled lightly for the first time in weeks before nodding at the door, "What about the masses outside? Or your other Cadets you have to worry about." He asked looking back at him noticing the small smile on Pike's lips, "Kirk you are only the Cadet I have to worry about. The Admiralty made sure I was your academic aid even though I asked to be." Jim chewed slowly on the muffin and his thoughts as they ate in a rather relaxed quiet before getting up with the remaining coffee in hands and left for testing.

Testing, as it turned out, was a mass of written, oral, and performance tests that would keep Jim on his toes as he had a physics test then a language oral fallowed by a small training simulation that made him move through situation after situation and then the cycle was repeated with different tests and simulations. Pike and a few professors marked, watched, and made notes as they paid attention to the computers and how Jim was doing, as more and more tests were given more and more people showed up. Some had slightly shocked looks on their faces as they conversed with those around them as he scored highly on a third year oral over sub space transportation and raised a few inquisitive eyebrows as he switched from stilted and shaky Romulan to fluent Vulcan.

He got a few smirks from Captain Pike as Jim managed to go through an infiltrate and retrieval simulation with not only efficiency, but effectively without losing the intended target or getting any of the "landing party" killed. He managed to successfully bandage up a fallen "crew member" and then turn around and recite most of the parts to the warp engine and corp. He had tested out of half of the first year cadet's classes and some of the second year's and they hadn't even gotten to lunch yet, Pike smiled and shook his head as heads of different departments started to show up and most still didn't believe the blond genius had been found in a hole-in-the-wall bar in bum fuck Iowa. After a few minutes Jim finished a chemistry test and Pike pressed the com. button informing Jim that Maddy had lunch for them as well as a break issued before they continued. Kirk was good but there were still parts he needed refined in, like an uncut diamond he just needed the right tools and hands to make him shine.


	3. Chapter 3

Lunch was a mostly quiet affaire, both eating the sandwiches and chips that Maddy had provided them in a privet room off of the labs. Jim even let himself take one of the many sodas that had been left for them as well as lemonade and water, Pike's lip twitched at how much Jim was eating but after what his body and mind had been put through he wasn't going to say anything, he did have questions over some of the history test Kirk had taken and took this time to really look at the younger man when he was relaxed. Most of his records were there except for a five year gap where it went from a sealed juvenile record to his high school transcripts and aptitude tests to his college diploma.

Jim took a long drink from the bottle of water, he had felt the Captain's gaze on him and it took a large amount of restraint to keep from fidgeting. Swallowing, he finally pinned steal blue with his own clear ones and let his barriers down enough to make the elder man look away. "Anything you want to ask Captain?" he asked softly, he knew he had answered some questions with more detail then what was given to the public about a specific colonial genocide, but he just couldn't answer them. Not yet at least and he let the pleading bleed through his expression, relaxing a bit as Pike nodded but he knew he would have to eventually, he would explain everything else before he opened up that nightmare again.

Christopher assessed the situation and decided not to bring up his past till they were done with the rest of the testing, cleaning up a bit they both moved back into the labs. Kirk had tested out of most of the command track's first year classes as well as some of the second though he seemed interested in a few of the sciences, xenolinguistics, and engineering. Hell he seemed to be interested in almost everything and if they had gotten him last year he would already be halfway through his track and moving onto others, if the lack of trust for authority didn't get in his way that is. Pike found out that Jim was fine with doctors as long as he was in a large room full of people with the physician but gave him the most panicked, lost little boy look when he had to go into a privet lab for a secondary physical. Curios Chris moved into the room making up some bogus reason and watched as a slightly shaking Kirk relax and calmly inform the doctor that Pike could stay, he shot a thankful glance at the Captain before lying down on the biobed much more relaxed than before. They would have to talk about that later; he guessed it was due to the amount of hospitals Kirk had been in as a child, he watched each wince and when he would slightly pull away from the doctor before resigning to lay there stiffly and gave the physician a tight lipped smile and all but raced out of the white room.

"Alright cadet lets go back to my office there are some things we need to discuss." Pike's voice made Jim's shoulders slump a bit, he knew they would have to talk at some point he just hopped it would be about his classes and not anything else. The walk was stony quiet and Jim's muscles were drawn so tight he looked ready to snap, jumping slightly as the door hissed shut Pike observed him for a few more minutes. The poor boy looked more like a frightened rabbit then a Starfleet Cadet and he shook his head, "Maddy? Take messages and tell anyone who wants to talk with me that I've gone home sick. Also inform the security in Cronchin Hall that Cadet Kirk had family business and will not be back tonight." He released the button after her confused yes sir and pegged the equally confused blond with a look. "Come on son I have a feeling I'm going to need at least one drink for this." he inwardly smiled as Jim relaxed a bit and nodded, "To tell you the truth so will I." he joked weakly ducking his head as Maddy gave them both a look as they left.

It turned out the high ranking officers got to choose between apartments with a few Commanders and Lieutenant Commanders or they could pick a small house on the edge of the base. Pike had chosen a modest two story house rather close by and it was sparsely decorated. "Don't have much room on a star ship." He explained as Jim looked over the boxes that still needed unpacked and the standard issue furniture mixed in with old looking wooden pieces. "Let's go into my study, it's a bit more lived in." the elder man smiled softly and showed Jim the door to a warm room with books and charts all around on book cases and a small table with a chess set neatly placed, two inviting chairs on either side as well as a comfy looking one behind a big desk with a computer and a large amount of charts and PADDs. Though the one thing that caught Jim's attention was the amount of framed photos on the walls, the desk, book shelves, he moved to look at some noticing how a few were really old and some were from a few years or so. One in particular caught his eye and he stilled as he gazed at his father's younger and smiling face, he had only seen George Kirk in one photo at home and that was his parent's wedding photo but this one was at least a few years before that.

"Couldn't believe it when the bar tender told me who you were…" "Your Father's son… "I was assigned to the U.S.S. Kelvin for my dissertation…." "Something I admired about your dad…." Pike's words floated through his head as his questions pelted his mind. He didn't even hear the door opening again or the glasses and bottle clink together as Chris poured some of the strong amber liquid into them and approached Jim's stunned form. His sigh at seeing one of his academy holos with his arm around the Kelvin hero made Jim flinch and shoot the elder man an accusing look. "Something you want to tell me Captain Pike?" he asked in an icy, level voice that seemed to make the elder man wince and force himself not to come to attention, like a first year cadet caught with his pants down. Damn he would make a good commanding officer one day, today however, all he was is a pissed off and hurt young adult in need of a strong drink. "Best sit down for this son…. It's going to take a while." Pike watched as Jim downed half of the glass but remained quiet till Chris started, it was easy to explain the almost brotherly friendship George and he had been in at the Academy. They were roommates, on the same career track, in the same classes, and had even gone after the same botanist researcher; Pike got to smile a bit as Jim coughed on his drink when he heard they had both pursued Winona.

In the end George seemed to have more finesse then Chris did, or wasn't as married to his side projects, either way Jim and his brother were Kirks and not Pikes, though not for the lack of trying on his part. It got harder to talk as he mentioned Winona's reaction to him coming to comfort her or help, how she had finally told him if he stepped a foot on Kirk property again she would shoot him with an antique riffle owned by Jim's Grandfather. He ghosted over how much time he had poured into his dissertation trying to find something, anything that could have been done differently, but none came up so he buried himself in space and other planets till Brass had pulled him and his crew back to earth for leave till the new ship was finished and he could do more of it. The silence in the room was deafening, the only sound seemed to be the glass being set down empty and the bottle refilling said glass, "So…. Does this mean I can call you Uncle Chrissie?" Pike smirked at the slight playful twitch on Kirk's lips, "Try it and I'll have you court marshaled faster than you can blink."

He joked back noticing that some of the tension eased before coming back in droves. Placing his still full glass down Jim leaned forward and pegged the Captain with powerful blue eyes, almost freezing him in place with the amount of raw pain, drive, anger, and age yet still maintained enough child like qualities and innocence to keep him from shattering completely. "I guess it's my turn, and Captain? You're going to need more to drink then one glass."


	4. Chapter 4 Author's Note

Author's Note:

Hey guys sorry I have not been posting as fast as I would like to, my beta readers have both gotten a lot of drama and life in general through at them so we agreed not to let each other go, so I am without a beta and will be looking for one hopefully on here, PM me if you're interested. I also will be pulling this story down re formatting it, adding a tone more stuff, and placing it back up better and longer. I will not be pulling the story till I get a new beta so hopefully it will still be enjoyed while I'm working on it.

Thank you for reading and I hope to get a beta soon.


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